He is looking for her
by Evita
Summary: Harper sets up personal advertisments for the crew of the Andromeda to help them to find their perfect partners.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Dylan, the mail just arrived", Rommie's hologram announced, when she appeared in his office.

"Yet again?" the captain of the Andromeda asked astonished.

"Yes, the carrier drone can be found in hanger five. I just told the others."

"That's the third drone in three days. That's not normal", Dylan was amazed.

Rommie's hologram shrugged her shoulders and then disappeared. Shaking his head Dylan set out for the mentioned hanger.

When he arrived there, Rommie's avatar was just unloading the drone and giving every present crew member his small container with message discs

Trance already flipped through the many discs that were in her small box, while Harper snatched his box and left the deck in a second.

"Here you are, Dylan. That's for you", Rommie announced, when she pushed a container into the hands of the captain.

"So many messages again?" he called amazed, when he took a quick look inside.  
"I call that annoyance", Tyr grumbled.

At his words, Beka looked up to him from her reading device, where she had already put in her first disc.  
"What's up, Mister Anasazi?" Dylan enquired.

"For the third time I'm now getting a collection of messages from some women, who I don't know."  
"Well, may I be as indiscrete as to ask, what nature these messages are?" Hunt wanted to know. "I don't think that they will be from a lot of women who want to dispose of their men once and for all."

"Far from it!" Tyr murmured with an accent of a mixture of awkwardness and pride. "They all seem to want to marry me."  
"You are getting also such messages?"

"Also?" Tyr asked astonished. "Does that mean that your messages are of the same nature, Dylan?"  
"Well, I don't get proposals, but a lot of invitations for dates."

"Ehm … if I may butt in", Beka piped up. "I'm also getting such weird mail. But all senders are male and some dubious offers. Can someone tell why that is so?"

"Because you are always flirting openly with every man that comes across your way", the Nietzchean deadpanned.

"I didn't mean that and you know that. Where does this weird mail come from?"

"Trance, how is it with you?" Dylan wanted to know. "Are you also getting such messages?"  
"No, for me there was only the usually amount of advertisement. But I think Harper got more mail than usually.  
"Harper? Where is he actually? I thought he was just here."

"Harper left the hanger six minutes and three seconds ago. With his messages", Rommie reported. "He is now located on observation deck."

"What is he doing there?"

"He … he lets his messages be displayed on the big monitor."

"What is he doing?" Dylan asked again.  
"He lets his messages be displayed…"

"Then I have heard right", the captain interrupted Rommie. "I think we should speak with Mister Harper. It seems that he is the only one who is not astonished about the unusual amount of mail."

A little bit later Beka, Dylan and Tyr entered the observation deck … and stood still, when they saw a woman on the big monitor, about twenty years old. Mother Nature had endowed her well.

"Hello, unknown genius", she just started to speak. "My name is Julietta and I'm 22 years old. I'm interested in very clever and connoting men like you. When you are around Gonzafos with your ship the next time, I would really very much like to get to know you. I like going out in good restaurants. We could visit this new four-star restaurant, if you have no other plans. I'm longingly waiting for your answer."

"You can put her down as she likes to eat", Tyr said scaring Harper with his words, who was still fascinated with the picture of the dark haired woman.

"What?"

"Mister Harper, I immediately advise you not to meet this woman. She could be a real danger for your health. From her body you could get crushed and fractures, if you happen to lie under this being."  
"Doesn't anyone know how to knock?" Harper complained while his face was turning red and he shut down the message.

"You got some interesting mail", Dylan said who looked like a chief judge standing between Beka and Tyr.  
"Well … yes?"

"Do you happen to know why we receive also such messages?" Hunt asked.

"Some of mine are not so nice. Rather insinuating!" Beka chipped in.

"Now, Mister Harper?"  
"Well … it … it could be that … ehm … that I have a little bit to do with that.", Harper hemmed and hawed while he let disappear some messages in his mail box.

"What have you done?" Tyr snarled at Harper.

"I didn't get into mischief. I just wanted to do you a favor."  
"The effects of your little favor border on harassment. What have you done?" Beka demanded to know.

"Well, I've got … short time ago …when we had shore leave … and then I have … well I have … placed a few personal advertisements."  
"You did what?" Beka asked again, because she thought she hadn't heard right.

"Placed a few really little absolutely harmless personal advertisements?"  
"For us?" Dylan inquired who wanted to know exactly, what the engineer had done.

"Yes. For you, Beka, Tyr and myself. I thought we all could use a little diversion and companionship."  
An unmistakable angry growling could be heard from Tyr.

"Your companionship alone is more than enough for me", he murmured.

With these words, the Nietzchean grabbed Harper by his Hawaiian shirt and snarled loud: „Diversion and companionship? Does that mean that you involved us into your pubertal ideas? Tell me! What did you write in these advertisements? Do I have to shake every single letter out of you?"  
"Tyr, put him down! We aren't going to find out anything if you kill him", Dylan cut in.  
The Nietzchean abruptly dropped Harper and the young man hit the deck with his backside.  
"I only meant to do something good for you. I've even spent money for it. My personal money, I want to emphasize. And now, how about a little bit of gratitude!" the engineer murmured, when he stood up from the floor.  
"Now tell us, what was written in these advertisements", Beka demanded impatiently. Tyr looked like he would like to try to shake everything out of Harper.  
"Okay, okay, I'll tell you everything", Harper said and put up his hands protective. "If you want, I can even show you the advertisements."

He pulled one small disc out of a pile of message discs, put it into the reading device and flipped through to a certain page.  
He explicated, "This holo newspaper is sold in all of the three galaxies. It is released twice a week with many personal advertisements where people look for lovers, marriage or one-night stands. The advertisements will show up for two weeks, so they will be printed four times. That means the first week is now over. Oh, stop! There's the first advertisement."  
Harper pointed to the text that was now display on the monitor in big letters:  
"I'm a young hero from earth who's wandering through the galaxies on his ship looking for a super sexy being that wants to warm my heart and bed. Although being a genius I couldn't find you until today. So I give you now the opportunity to get to know the love god himself this way. "

"You think you'll find a worthy wife with this text?" Tyr asked with doubt in his voice.  
"Tyr, not everyone is as antiquated as you are and wants to marry at instance", Beka told the Nietzchean, grinning.

"Then this is some sort of joke?" Anasazi wanted to know uncomprehendingly. "In this case you'll be lucky if there is no message from a Nietzchean female. For her, this joke would certainly be an affront and she would put an end to your teenage lust for sex."  
Harpers face went pale, when he heard Tyrs words.

"What … what does that mean?"

"That means that you would be lacking a body part important for propagation after such a meeting", Tyr explained relaxed.

Harper got even paler, kneeled down beside his box and hastily flipped trough his message discs. With an eased sigh, he finally sat back and murmured, "Puh, there's no Nietzchean female."  
Beka had to restrain herself as to not laugh aloud at seeing Harpers facial expression. Tyr would have said that this whole situation was nothing to laugh about.  
"Don't tell me, that you have also set up such an advertisement for me." The Nietzchean pointed growling at the text that was still on display. "I would be the laughing stock for half of the galaxies."  
"Hey! There's only one love god and that's me", Harper called. He had recovered pretty fast from his shock. „For you I had to write a whole different text. Besides where is no name written under the advertisements. So you remain anonymous and your honor of mercenary stays intact."  
Tyr answered again with a furious growling and a dark glance that caused Harper to call out, "Okay, okay. Just one second. Here it is!"  
He flipped through the advertisements looking for the one he had set up for the Nietzchean.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**He is looking for her**

**Chapter 2**

"Here, that's it", Harper explained finally and pointed to the screen, where a new advertisement appeared:

"Nietzchean muscleman, just jumped out of the "Women's Pleasure", is looking for an attractive woman with good genes for procreation to integrate her into his future harem. Willing and ready to marry and bear at least five children are required. A luxurious living standard is guaranteed."

"That … That is the advertisement you set up for me?" Tyr asked after reading the text, a mixture of shock and anger written all over his face.

His next unmistakably angry words Harper didn't hear because Beka burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Anasazi snapped at her angrily. "This, this unbelievable collection of words is truly an affront." He was almost stuttering in anger. "And you, Harper, be glad, that I sometimes think you are useful otherwise you could go looking for every single one of your bones!"

"What's wrong?" Beka still snickered. "Harper formulated this text quite accurate. Please show me one statement in this few lines, that isn't you in a nutshell! She smiled hugely, "Can't do it, can ya?"  
"First of all this "muscleman" sounds like I have only strength but no brain. Then he implies that I'm not able to find a wife myself", Tyr growled.  
"Oh, that's it", Beka said, still not able to stop to laugh. "The ad just scratches on your pride. Let me think! Nietzcheans strive to have as many wives as possible to sire as much offspring as possible. Correct me if I'm wrong, but until now, you don't have anything of that – neither in the single form nor in the multiple. Perhaps you really need some help with finding a partner?"  
"Do you think so? Well, if you think that Harper's idea is so great, then why were you so angry about your mails? You should been have to be thrilled, if he is also helping you to find a mate, too. Right? Because you also seem to be not so successful. That's why I would really like to know the advertisement that's fitting for you. Harper certainly has found a suitable text for you because he's a real linguistical genius."  
Tyr turned around to the young engineer who had even thought the others would have forgotten him and would have let him go.

"Show us the advertisement you have set up for Captain Valentine!" he demanded.  
"Yeah, yeah! First everyone is complaining and then everyone is amused", Harper grumbled. "And then I'm even relegated to be a film projectionist. "

Tyr, who didn't miss Harper's comment because of his superior hearing, menacingly glanced at the young man, showing that he would not tolerate contradiction. So Harper hurried up to look for the advertisement he had written for Beka.  
"Here, that's it", he announced, when the text was shown on the screen.

"Raunchy blond with own freighter is looking for a wealthy humanoid for lonely nights and hot adventures. Intention to marry is not welcome. Bodily perfection, spontaneity unconventionality and lust for adventures are conditions precedent. One-night-stands not excluded."  
"What?" Beka exclaimed appalled, when she had read the lines. "You have set up this text for me in the holo newspaper?"

Seeing the shocked look on Beka's face Tyr couldn't do anything else than to start roaring with laughter like she herself had done with him only a few minutes ago.  
"Oh, shut up, Anasazi!" Beka snapped angrily at him. "That's not funny at all. Everyone who is reading this must be thinking that I'm a floozy!"  
"Well, there I've got two quotes for you. The first one is from Harper: 'Where is no name written under the advertisements. So you remain anonymous and your honor stays intact.' Then there's a second one: 'Harper formulated this text quite accurate. Please show me one statement in this few lines, that isn't you in a nutshell! Well, could it be that these words were yours?"  
Beka only glared irately at Tyr, but she didn't give him an answer and looked around for Harper. Because he had seen, that the female pilot wasn't happier about the text than Tyr was, he had sneaked off to Dylan looking for protection. He thought that perhaps the young woman wasn't as convinced as Tyr that he as the only ship engineer was indispensable. Perhaps she would try to kill him.

"Harper", Beka called aloud and pointed at the young man. „You'll stop this advertisement at once. And if someone learns to know about this embarrassment then I'll kick you out of the ship through one of the missile openings! "

"I'm tempted to offer my help", Tyr grinded out with a suppressed laughter. Beka's burst had him half way reconciled with Harper. When Captain Valentine was pissed, the view was always superb – at least if he himself wasn't cause and object of her fit of rage.  
"Now I also want to know, what nice advertisement you set up for me", Dylan said smiling.

In the meantime, he was convinced, that Harper had in his mind only some little joke and that he had assumed that nobody would be angry at him about this.  
With his overtly directness he had exaggerated the ads a little bit , however he hadn't really done any harm if you didn't count hurt pride and vanity. They all stayed anonymous and nobody would associate the advertisements with them. Dylan could not deny his curiosity.

"Are you really sure, that you want to read that?" Harper asked hesitantly. "I would rather if you wouldn't insist. Because then you'll also be angry and there will be nobody who will protect me against your anger. "I promise that I'll neither hurt you nor will kick you out of the Andromeda. Now show me the advertisement."

Reluctantly the young engineer obeyed and looked for the advertisement. Only seconds later, it could be seen on screen:

"After a big lost, a Warship captain, a little bit moldy, is looking for a young female feather duster. If you're humanoid, attractive and not older than 30 years and feel you've have no problem with orders, then let us chug to the stars together."  
"That sounds like me being a male dominatrix of the age of senility", Dylan stated, when he had read the text.  
"I didn't intend that at all", Harper defended himself hurriedly… "I thought it would be funny and fitting for you."

Dylan, who was prepared for Harpers linguistical lapse, had to try hard not to burst into laughter.  
Smiling he said: "It's okay, Harper. I'm not angry. But I advise you to not do something like that again. You're not very lucky in choosing your words."  
"There's still a problem", Harper then whispered aggrieved. "I can't cancel the advertisements. They will be published for another week."

"Well, then we'll have to tolerate the bigger amount of mail for another week", Dylan said, put his hand reassuring a Harpers shoulder and then left the observation deck.

"What is Beka doing over there? ", Harper asked Trance, when he entered the recreation deck.  
He had just finished some repairs and was now looking for a little bit recreational entertainment for example a card game.

"She is reading her message discs", the golden being told him. "They seem to be very amusing, because she is always laughing."

"Who has written to her?" Harper asked curiously.

"They are the messages she received as answers to your silly advertisements", Trance explained patiently.

"Hey, my advertisements weren't silly. It's not my fault that there's nobody who knows fun."

"I thought she wanted to delete all the messages", Tyr interrupted. He hadn't looked in his book, he had brought to read, for some time, as he was dividing his attention between Beka, who was reading on a couch a few meters away, and Trance and Harper who were talking about her.  
"She couldn't sleep last night and so she started to read through the messages. That's she told me. And because some of the messages being very funny, she decided to read them all."

Tyr shook his head and glanced in the direction of Beka. "I don't understand women. Yesterday she was so mad and today she is laughing about it, tomorrow, who knows."

"Harper, I've got a question", Trance used the opportunity to ask. "Why didn't you set up an advertisement for Rommie or me?"  
"That would mean limiting my chances", the engineer answered grinning. "I want that you both have the possibility to spend you all attention on me. I'm glad that Tyr is only into Nietzcheans and that Dylan doesn't start relationships with the crew. So I can be sure that they both are no competition for me."  
"You are hopeless, Harper", Trance berated him smiling. "But you are sharing your attention between so many women? Or don't you plan on meeting some of you advertisement ladies?"

"Of course I want to take a closer look at some of the girls. I think nietzchean philosophy isn't that bad. The idea of having my own harem sounds pretty good to me", Harper said.  
Again Tyr was shaking his head in disbelieve.  
"Harper, don't forget, that nietzchean males are constructed to have multiple wives", he stated. "I really doubt that you could keep up with them. Your harem would soon be looking for more…excitment."

With that he stood and walked over to Beka.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**He is looking for her**

**Chapter 3**

Tyr began to wonder about what Beka intended to do with the messages she got. Did she really only want to kill time or had she in mind to meet with one of the men?

He himself had checked through all the messages, he had received and he had found out that there was no Nietzchean woman writing him. Nothing else had interested him. And even if one of the women would have been from some Nietzchean pride, he doubted that he would have set up a date. A Nietzchean woman with good genes certainly wasn't in need to answer to a personal advertisement.

"You seem to be very amused. May I ask what's so funny?" Tyr wanted to know when he stepped to the couch and heard Beka's gentle snickers.

"Look at this picture", the young pilot invited him and gave him the reading device where she played her messages.

On the little screen, Tyr could see a being, which looked half about human. His face was very red and he had big chubby cheeks and quite protruding teeth.

"He is really thinking of himself as very good looking and attractive. He should have sent only a voice message or a written message. Then perhaps I would have believed half of what he said or wrote. But voice message also would have been impossible. He doesn't even speak common."

"Presumably his race has other beauty ideals than you", Tyr factually said, when he eyed the man.

"Do you really try to defend this adenomatous flabby monster? ", Beka asked unbelieving.

"I do not defend anybody. I am only querying your selection criteria. What is beautiful for a human can be ugly in the eyes of a being, which belongs to another race. And otherwise things can be attractive for other beings and at the same time be abhorrent for you."

"Well, then it is convenient if you are limiting yourself to Nietzchean females. So you don't have to struggle with the problem of beauty", Beka responded sharp. "You don't even have to think about the inner worth of a woman. It is enough if she is sending you a DNA analysis. "

"I dare to state, that this is a more accurate criteria than your bodily perfection. And on the hand I have never said, that I would limit myself on looking at some DNA analysis if I'm choosing a woman to pursue."

"Is that right? May I ask by which criteria the future Mrs. Anasazi is chosen?"

"Why are you interested? Are you going to propose for this position?"

Surprised by his words Beka had to catch for air before she could answer: "I wouldn't have a chance anyway. I am not Nietzchean and, even worse, my father was a flash addict. This affinity apparently was laid in my cradle. But when you are trying to avoid this topic then I won't insist on it. Presumably, you yourself don't know what your future woman should be like – or you future women."

Tyr took one of the message discs of Beka's pile, put it quite casually into the reading device and looked at the message before he said, "I don't avoid the topic. Why should I? I'm only curious, why you are interested in how I imagine my wife."

"Okay. I'm interested because I've never seen a being that you would have been completely crazy about, of course apart from the dreamy expression you showed in view of Ellsbeth Mossadim. But that look rather aimed at her genes and her position in Nietzchean society than at her person, if I am not mistaken. Well, it's your turn now. What are the women of your dreams looking like?"

Tyr put down the reading device, which showed a humanoid being with little horns and a broad grinning waving with a bundle of money, and sat down next to Beka.

"What is it with you and the way people look? That's not all that matters."

"And that out of your mouth? You, who are spending half of the day in the gym to define your muscles? You, who are always wearing shirts where you can see all those muscles down to you navel? You, who are wearing those tight pants where everyone has to notice your firm butt? You are telling me this?"

"Well, now I know at least, what you are staring at when you are miles away with your thoughts", Tyr said smiling.

Beka turned a little bit red, when she noticed, what she just had said. But she didn't let the words of the Nietzchean mislead her.

"Then tell me, what's important for you about your future wives", she demanded.

"Loyalty is important for me, likewise dependability, courage, mental fortitude and ambition. I have big plans for my future and I need a woman, which is supporting me to realize them. She also should be warmhearted und love children. I want children, a lot of children."

"There you are the same as every usual Nietzchean. "

"I'm not your usual Nietzchean!"

"Okay, if you are insisting. Perhaps you are looking a bit better; perhaps you are a bit stronger and a bit more clever than the usual Nietzchean. Agreed?"

"Out of your mouth this sounds more like an insult than a compliment."

"Take it like you wish. In any case now I know why you haven't found a proper wife until now: loyalty and being warmhearted, that's nothing you can find in a Nietzchean woman."

"You are thinking very badly of my race."

"Until now there is little cause to think better of your race."

"Then I should leave you to your search for a partner", Tyr murmured. You could hear clearly that he was disappointed, that for Beka all Nietzcheans were the same and that she found nothing good in them.  
"Hey, Anasazi, don't be in a snit", Beka called after him, when Tyr stood up from the couch. "I admit that you sometimes stand out positively from the rest of the Nietzcheans. Perhaps … well, perhaps you would like to help me with my search for a partner? Well, not that I'm planning on really meeting one of these guys … but … it's fun to see how some make a fool of themselves here."

Tyr thought abut it for a second and then sat down again. It could be interesting to see, who Beka perhaps would choose.

"Hey, Trance", Harper called after the golden being that just disappeared in the hydroponics gardens. Seconds later Trance head appeared in the door to which Harper was running.

"What's up, Harper?"

Gasping the young engineer stopped in front of Trance. "Have … have you … have you …"

"Breath, Harper! You shouldn't forget to breath!" admonished Trance smiling.

Harper still gasped a little bit before he finally managed to say: "Have you heard? "

"Heard what?"

"We are going on shore leave."

"Yes, Dylan told me", Trance said pulling the young man with her into the gardens and pushing him down on a bench. "Sit down. You already turned red. That's not good for your cardiovascular system.

"I already nearly got a mix of heart attack and laughing fit, when I heard it."

"When you heard that we are going on shore leave? What's so special about it? We do that regularly."

"Then you don't know it?"

"Perhaps you should tell me what I should know or not."

"The cause of our shore leave."

"Because we earned a little bit of recreation? The last weeks were no bed of roses with this evacuation of the Grapadiens. "

"No, no, no! That's only a pretense invented by Dylan. "

"Why has Dylan to invent a pretense?" Trance asked, now being really perplexed why Harper was all excited.

"Dylan has a date!" Harper finally sputtered.

"A date? With whom? With Rommie? Or did he ask Beka?"

"Rommie. Beka. They are unimportant. Dylan has a blind date. He sent a message to one of the women who answered to his advertisement."

Trance astonished flopped down on the bench next to Harper.

"Well, I wouldn't have thought that."

"Me, too! Me, too!" Harper babbled excitedly. "Now I'm thinking all the time about how to hide a wire in Dylan's clothes. I really want to know how Mr. "All women want to kiss me" is behaving at such a blind date."

"Harper", Trance said strictly. "What Dylan does at his date is nothing to you! That's his private concern and you won't interfere!"

"Oh, Trance, come on! Don't be a spoilsport. You certainly are curious, too."

"Even if I would be curious, I would accept Dylan's private life. Why do you know at all that he has a date? Did he tell you that?"

"Well …" Harper hemmed and hawed, "he … he didn't really tell me. I did … I did some security controls at the data transfer in Andromeda's matrix … well … and there I saw … really accidentally saw a message, which our good captain sent this woman."

"And you read it really accidentally, didn't you?" Trance wanted to know. Her voice told what she thought about Harper's spying.

"That was a really funny accident. When I saw this message, it just opened itself. And there I saw a little glimpse of the content."

"Harper! Be ashamed of yourself! You shouldn't do that! You wouldn't like it if somebody read your messages."  
"For you everything sounds so easy, Trance", Harper meant. "All the women are after Dylan. But you are talking here to the man who has no love life at all. I only thought that I could learn something."

Trance shook her head.

"If it comforts you, then look at Dylan's relationships since we got him out of that black hole. Nothing of long duration.

"I would be even glad for something of short duration, even very short duration."

"What's about all those answers to your personal advertisement? ", Trance asked. "No answer from a woman you would like to meet?"

"And what shall I do, if they see me? They are all waiting for a mix of Dylan, Tyr and a nabob. And what will they get? A weedy mouse with health problems!"

"Come on, Harper. Don't make yourself smaller than you are. You should have thought about that before you wrote this advertisement. If you are writing a lot of overstatements every woman must be disappointed if not even half of that is true. Why didn't you write that you are a nice, humorous enthusiastic surfer with a great brain for being technical? You would have got a lot of nice answers."

"Really? Do you think so? Woman every time only want guys with muscles and money. Brain doesn't count. Or would you voluntarily go out with me? Well, I mean, if you wouldn't know me."

"Of course, I like nice men with humor."

Harper looked at Trance for a moment before he looked down at his hands and quietly asked: "Would you … well perhaps … may I … will you go out with me?"

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Well, Tyr? Have you thought about it more?", Beka asked when she hit the bag, which Tyr was holding for her.

"Yes, I thought about it. I should have killed Harper in the instant when I learned about him putting up these advertisements. Since this moment I've had no peace", the Nietzchean grumbled. "Either Harper is firing questions at me because he wants to know what women answered my advertisement or you are questioning me because you want to find out if I'm going to meet with one of them or not. If there is something like hell on earth than I'm living in it!"

"Anasazi, don't think about it so negative. Obviously, everyone is making an effort that you don't remain alone. Your love live is even more miserable than Harper's."

"My love live doesn't matter for anyone. Harper should keep his nose out of it."

Beka forcefully hit the bag a few more times.

"Impact alone isn't enough", the Nietzchean explained who wanted to change the subject. "If you are only hitting the bag on one side, then the effect is lost. That's the same than grazing your opponent at the ear. It doesn't matter if there is all your power in this hit. You won't knock him down like that."

Beka pranced a little bit around then struck the bag hard and well directed.

"That was better. A lot better", Tyr admitted.

"See", Beka said immediately, „I'm able to accept advice and tips and follow them. Why can't you, too?"  
"And what advice do you want to give me?", Tyr asked, although he knew he wouldn't like the answer. However he would listen, rather he liked it or not, so he could ask Beka about her opinion as well."  
"You should choose one or two of the women who wrote you and meet with them. That would be good for you."  
"Nietzcheans take sex very seriously. That's no game. The purpose is propagation and inheritance of one own genes. I don't want to be the mother of my children just any woman who accidentally read and answered this advertisement."  
Beka hit the bag two more times with Tyr giving no negative comment.

"First I didn't tell you to dance the horizontal rumba with the woman. Second, there are possibilities of contraception. And third: Why shouldn't exactly the right woman for you answer to the advertisement?"  
Tyr caught Beka's hands before she could hit the bag another time.

"That's enough for today", he told her and Beka wasn't sure if he meant her training or her words. Slowly he unwrapped the bandages from her hands and continued without looking at her: "Contraception is a concept that I can't understand. Nietzcheans have sex for propagation, to give their genes to the next generation. Which purpose has sex if you avoid just that?"  
"Heard about fun?"  
"Well, it seems we have a very different idea of fun. "  
"You really want to tell me that you nether slept with a woman to … well … you know … just to have fun?", Beka asked disbelieving.  
Tyr didn't answer, but for Beka it was clear, that she had hit bull's eye.

"Well, then you really missed something!", she said.  
"Then you are meeting with this guy tomorrow to … have fun?", Tyr wanted to know.

"Fun, of course. However, that doesn't mean that I will jump into bed with him. That comes after to know him and then only if I like him."  
"But you don't exclude the possibility."

Tyr's words sounded more like a statement than a question and Beka thought that there was also some criticism in them.  
"Yes, I don't exclude the possibility - I'm not Nietzchean. Therefore, I'm not immediately married only because of sleeping with a guy. And I'm cautious, that I'm not accidentally producing offspring. I'm very good in that."

Beka grinned from one ear to the other. It seemed to her, that Tyr because of some unknown cause didn't like to see and hear that she was so easy about sex. And that excited her even more than teasing him about it.  
She bent over to Tyr a little bit. "I make you a proposal: If you go on a date tomorrow evening, I will tell you with all details what I did with Korolan. That's a great offer, isn't it? Perhaps you could learn something new from me. That could be very pleasurable for your future wives."  
Tyr shook his head disbelieving.

"You seem to mistake me for Harper. He would really like to hear your juicy details."

"I sure wouldn't tell him anything. If I would do that I might as well put up an advertisement in one of these holomagazines that are delivered to all three galaxies."  
"So, that's an exclusive offer for me?" Tyr was curious though. He smiled because after Beka's comment about Harper's chattiness he didn't believe that she really intended to tell him anything. It seemed that she only had in mind to bait him with her report. She would laugh about him afterwards because of him not sticking to his principles.  
"Very exclusive and temporal limited. Yes or no? Once I left this room, the offer is canceled."

"I have to think about it", Tyr said. In the meantime, he had unwrapped Beka's hands and pulled her with him to one of the mats lying on the floor.  
"So you are a little bit curious?", Beka teased him.

"More interested in which pretext you will bring forward tomorrow to not having to give me your report", he answered grinning

"You think I'm bluffing?", Beka challenged.

"I'm tempted to think so."  
"Well you will only know if you are taking me up on my offer. You are dating a woman and I'm going to tell you truthfully and with all details what I experienced and what we … did together."  
Because Tyr didn't tell her no at once, she was now quite sure, that he would accept her little deal if she would talk at him a little bit more.  
"Theoretically, if I would take you up on your dare, what exactly would be the terms? I just have to meet with any woman?"

"You can choose any woman. However, I also offer to help you with your choice if it is too difficult for you."

"I think the choice really is mine alone. What do you imagine I should do with the woman?"

"Do I have to tell you in detail? I thought you have already been with a woman. How was it with Freya? What did you do with her?"

"Freya was Nietzchean. I think you know what we did", Tyr answered shortly. "And I'm not the one who wants to go into details."

"Okay, but let me give you an advice: Avoid words like procreation and children at this date if you do not want it to end after five minutes. And don't tell her in the first few minutes that you want to jump into bed with her. She could misinterpret that. Even a permissive woman wants to be wooed a little bit before dancing the horizontal rumba with some guy."  
"Then this …. This … what was his name?"

"Korolan."

"Then this Korolan has to woo you tomorrow evening?"

"Of course he does! Unless he is so hot, that I can't restrain myself. Then we simply will skip that little formality."  
"And just how much do you expect me to tell you? I don't think that you would be content with me just dating a woman and telling you nothing."  
"Oh, of course I would want to know a little bit about the date. You would have to tell me who she was and what you did with her. Of course no details. A simple outline would be enough."

"Dylan, are you sure you want to do this?", Rommie's hologram asked. She stood with hands folded behind her back in the middle of Hunt's quarters and watched her captain who, only dressed in socks and boxers, stood before his closet and looked for the right clothes for the evening."  
"Why do you ask? I thought you checked all data available about Cassandra and found nothing negative."

"So I said", confirmed the AI. „But I don't think, that this date is a good idea."

"And are you also going to tell me why you don't approve?", Dylan wanted to know.

"You are a representative of the Commonwealth. Therefore every of your steps is observed. This date could be seen negative for you."  
"I don't plan on appearing in full gala uniform at my date or advertising my appearance", the captain objected and showed Rommie a shirt and trousers. "Does this work?"

Rommie nodded shortly, but didn't let herself being diverted.

"Dylan, don't you think, that you will be noticed? And what does it look like if you are having a blind date with some strange woman? Do you believe that every holomagazin and every holosender won't notice?"

"Rommie, I can't disguise myself, if I want to meet somebody. That would be the false method to make new acquaintance. And I have the right for some private life. Don't you think so?"  
Rommie was silent for a moment. Then she said: "And what if you are visiting the academy on Mobius? Perhaps you can meet somebody there instead? That would be a more respectable possibility. Or you could meet again with Molly."

Rommie didn't like to mention Molly, because she didn't like the young woman very much, but the likelihood, that Dylan would accept her proposition wasn't very big either. Her captain hadn't had any contact to the woman since her good bye. So his affection to her was limited.  
"I don't know. Molly has her own life. I don't want to intrude there", Dylan said while slipping into his trousers. "I would prefer somebody who has nothing to do with the High Guard. Sometimes I want to forget the job."  
"Where will you meet her?", Rommie asked then, recognizing that it was not possible to dissuade her captain from his plans.

"Why do you want to know?"  
"I want to check the location to see if there are some journalists around."  
"Okay, you can do that. It doesn't hurt to know if journalists expect me when I go out with a woman."  
Hunt turned around from the mirror, where he stood, and asked, "Do you think I look okay?"  
Rommie had to smile about his insecurity mixed with vanity.

"You are looking perfect", she said truthfully.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

On the first evening of shore leave there were some surprises. The crew gathered in the hangar, where the Maru was located, waiting to fly with the ship down to the planet surface of Breng 3. Beka was very astonished when Dylan appeared in elegant clothes. When he usually spent an evening at one or another bar he dressed down. Sometimes he ssemed to like it not to wear something confining like his uniform. That this evening he wasn't dressed like usually had to mean, that he had special plans.

"Hey, Dylan. One doesn't know you like that. Is there any reception where you are invited?", Beka immediatly fished for information, when she saw him.

"No, there's no formal cause. Only a private date."

"May I ask you is the lucky one?", the female pilot instantly wanted to know.

"Private means, that it is nothing to you", Dylan answered.

"Come on, give me at least a little hint."

"You don't know her. She's … well, she's one of the women you answered on the advertisement."

"So you really have the heart to do it?", Beka teased him.

"Did you think I wouldn't do it? Why shouldn't I have the heart to do it?"

"Well, I simply didn't see you like that. Do you know that your daringness just costed me a pretty sum?"

"Why is that?", Dylan asked surprised.

"Because I have bet with Harper, that this message to this one Cassandra was only fake to trick him."

"Harper knows about the message? Why does he know about it?"

Dylan had been sure, that nobody would learn to know about his plans, and he could believe that Rommie, the only one whom he had told, had divulged something.

"He told me and because I didn't believe him, he proposed this bet. Unfortunately I seem to have lost it."

"What did you loose?", Tyr wanted to know who entered the hangar this very moment.

"Anasazi, there you are!", Beka called without answering him.

"She has lost a bet", Dylan explained to Tyr, when he stepped to them.

Tyr nodded quite uninterested and inconspicuously examined Beka. She wore her usual leather pants but also a unknown black shirt with a deep neck line in the front and back and slits in the long sleeves. Certainly she couldn't wear underwear or it would be visible.

"Do you like it ?", Beka asked who anyway had noticed that Tyr had inspected her outfit.

The Nietzchen didn't let on, that Beka found him examining her outfit and expressed coolly: „You don't have much to doff … if you are planning on that."

"Ah! At least you have notived that. Dylan? Do you like my shirt?"

„You look really great in it. But why do you want to doff it? In your stead I really would keep it on. It really fits you perfectly", Dylan said, who missed the meaning of Tyrs words.

"That I would advise you to", Tyr meant grinning.

"Well, at least I made some effort to appeal to my date", Beka commented. Tyr's ongoing criticism of her way of life was annoying her.

"You have got also a date today?", Dylan interfered. "Then you are the third one. What are your plans for the evening?"

"Nobody told me that I have to plan anything", Tyr said glancing at Beka. "Certainly I'll come up with something to do with the Woman at the right time. Or I'm practical and simply ask her, what she likes to do."

"Don't you think you should make a little more effort to appeal to the lady?", Dylan asked and threw a meaningful glance at Tyr's attire which wasn't anything other than he wore usually: leather pants and fitting body vest.

"So that I'm looking a sight like you or Captain Valentine? No thanks. That needn't be."

For his words Tyr got disgusted looks and a biting answer of Beka: „Neither Dylan nor I are looking disgusting. We just know, that the first impression is important if you want to learn to know someone new. Your criteria for such a case we know enough. I hope your date doesn't leave you in the first minute. But if you aren't more accommodating and a little bit more gentleman like, then that's what will be happening.

Tyr didn't worry about Bekas words and turnd in the direction of the Maru. When he went past the young pilot he bent to her and wispered: "The success or failure of my date doesn't matter for me at all. You know exactly, why I engaged in it."

Then he disappeared over the ramp in the inside of the freighter.

"What was that?", Dylan asked, who hadn't understood a word of what Tyr had said to Beka.

"Nothing at all." Beka didn't intend to tell Dylan about her deal with the nietzschean.

Luckily this moment Harper and Trance entered the hangar and distracted Dylan.

"Well, there are our laggards", Dylan said good-natured and appreciatively nodded when he saw that Harper had actually forced himself into a brown suit and a beige shirt.

"I didn't know that you possessed clothes in such muted colors", Beka teased the young engineer when she saw what he wore.

"Well, I actually don't. But you need something dignified to impress the ladies … or at least one lady. Rommie provided this for me."  
Harper plucked on his suit a little bit. It was obvious that it wasn't his favourite piece of clothing.

"Tell that Tyr. He will explain to you that you are looking disgusting. To impress a woman with courtesy or a certain appearance seems to be pathetic in his eyes. But we will see tomorrow morning how successful Mister Anasazi has been with his direct method "What do you want? I want to go to bed and produce children." I bet the poor woman wont endure him longer than one hour."

"Beka, don't be so strict with Tyr. He has also his good sides. And perhaps he finds a woman who appreciates these sides", Trance interjected standing beneath Harper wearing a long copper colored dress.

"Which good sides would you mean? I want to learn to know the woman who finds some in Tyr. Perhaps she could tell me what unknown mysteries can be found in our resident nietzchean."

Trance simply shook her head. She was certain, that Beka didn't mean everything that she said about Tyr. After all Tyr had saved her more than once. If that couldn't be seen as a positive side what else?

"Can we eventually get going?", Dylan asked already getting impatient.

"Why? Did Rommie change her mind?", Beka asked astonished.

"Changed her mind?"

It was clearly visible in Dylan's face that he didn't know what Beka was talking about.

"She also wanted to come down on the planet."

"Did she?", Dylan asked.

"So she told me. It seem's she has plans."

"What I know she also has a date", Trance chirped in.

"Rommie has a date?", Dylan stammered stunned. "How … when … what does that mean?"

Trance had to smirk because of Dylan's bewildered face. "Don't worry, Dylan. Romie said, her date has the purpose to gain some information. She doesn't date another AI."

Trance knew that since Rommie had fallen in love for Gabriel Dylan feared this could happen again and Rommies avatar would leave him and the Andromeda.

"Don't have Ais the right for a little bit privacy?", Rommie asked who entered the hangar this very moment. Being the AI of the ship she had heard everything that was spoken about her.

"Of course, Romm-Doll", Harper stated who had said nothing until now. "But if you are going on dates with strange men we have to be allowed to be a little bit nosy."

"The man I'm going out with is no stranger for me", announced the AI who was wearing black trousers and a top with an excitingly plunging neckline instead of her usual uniform.

Dylan's brain went in overroad when he started to think. Which man Rommie had met once or perhaps even more times, was her date for the evening? From Trance he knew that he was no AI and that Rommie hoped to get some information from him. Because of that Dylan thought it had to be some dignitary or ambassador they had met in the past.

"Don't you want to tell us who your date is?", he asked.

"Yeah, Rommie, my angel. Why don't you let the cat out of the bag? Who is the fortunate one who is allowed to enjoy your company this evening?", now also Harper wanted to know.

"Didn't you just tell me that I've got also the right for some private life, Mr Harper? So you will certainly understand if I use this right and don't give you an answer. You should keep your nose out of …"

"Does everyone plan to postpone the depart until tomorrow morning?", Tyr interrupted who protuded his head out of the airlock of the Maru. "I've got a date and don't plan on being late."

Prompting he looked around.

"Tyr really has a date? I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't heard it out of his own mouth", Harper wispered to Trance.

"And suddenly he seems to be quite eager for it", Beka added, who had heard Harpers hushed words. "I really hope I by accident run into him and his companion this evening. Does anyone of you accidently know, where he will meet with the woman and where he plans to go with her?"

"Beka, you shouldn't spy after Tyr", Rommie admonished the female pilot. "And like you yourself just heard he has not exactly plans for this evening."

"That he doesn't want to tell me about them doesn't mean that he doesn't have any", Beka chipped in who couldn't imagine, that the nietzchean who always had plan B and C in his mind, hadn't planed anything for such an evening. "Besides I didn't say that I would spy after him. I just wanted to increase the possibility of meeting him."

"I must remember that. If I try to put something like that in words it doesn#t sound so positive", Harper quipped.

"Could we perhaps spare out the rumour mill until tomorrow? Or do I have to go down with the Maru all by myself?" Tyr called now a bit angry because his schedule got out of shape.

"We are just coming", Dylan appeased him.

"He is really in a hurry", Harper said when Tyr went back into the Maru. "Has to be quite a hot chick who is waiting for him."

"Let's hope it's not rather a hot bride", Dylan meant considerate, "or tomorrow morning there will be one more crewmember on the Andromeda … or one less. "

"Do you really think, Tyr would take a wife just over the night and leave Andromeda?", Beka asked a little bit anxious when she went to teh Maru followed by the others.

"It's the purpose of life for nietzcheans to be husband and father", Dylan explained. "If there is this possibility for him, why should Tyr take it? And the Andromeda isn't the most secure place to start a family. So I think it's not unlikely, that Tyr will leave us sooner or later."

Thinking and silent Beka boarded the Maru. She hadn't thought about this possibility when she had tried to convince the nietzchean to have a date with a woman.


End file.
